‘Thank You Cancer’ is a compilation of survivor tales that aims to dispel myths about the disease

Priyanko Sarkar | TNN

Mumbai: A happy family of four in Mumbai received its worst news in August 2005 when Sunila Bajaj (54) was diagnosed with breast cancer. Daughters Nidhi and Megha and Sunila’s husband, however, did not panic. On the night before the surgery, two weeks after they learnt of the disease, the family was still playing cards and listening to old Hindi songs rather than talk about the operation. The cancer had just reached the critical 3A stage when the tumour is the size of an orange. Having left everything to doctors and God, the family chose to go about its work as usual “while 16 relatives were crying themselves hoarse over my mother’s condition,” says younger daughter Megha. The situation eventually inspired Megha to write a book on breast cancer, which will be published soon. The Cancer Patients Aids Association (CPAA) has even ordered 100 copies of it. The book titled ‘Thank You Cancer’ is not a sermon or a medical log on a woman’s battle with breast cancer. Rather, it is a compilation of survivor tales embellished by anecdotes on things to do while recovering; the book is thus about women who have overcome breast cancer and gone on to lead productive lives. “My mom studies law and she used to apply Iodex thinking it was some sort of swelling. I didn’t want other patients to go through the same ignorance. My book is an attempt to bridge the chasm between complex medical terms and lack of practical knowledge on the subject,” says Megha. She spent a year shuttling between the metros to find other case studies similar to her mother. Their stories along with their contact numbers, since most of them are working to help fellow women afflicted by breast cancer, make up the bulk of the book. “There is nothing negative in the book. It doesn’t talk of death in any manner. And the stories of these women are truly inspiring for everyone. ‘Cancer cannot kill me’ is an attitude they wear on their sleeves quite well,” says the writer. Like Saroj in Delhi, who lost her entire family except her daughter to cancer. Or Neerja from Chennai, who was laughing when she vomited two live worms. And when Mrs Bajaj had only a single hair left after her surgery. her family took her out to watch ‘Iqbal’ (Ek Baal). The book also touches upon other forms of healing which have been a part of traditional Indian systems of medicine along with the names of the practitioners. These include experts on reiki, transcendental meditation. pranic healing, physiotherapy, meditation and support groups. As for Mrs Bajaj, she says, “I live a different life now and want to reach out to as many breast cancer-afflicted patients as I. Also, I have learnt to respect my body and become extroverted to a great extent.” “In a way we all have cancer cells. Only our immune system keeps them from multiplying and becoming a tumour. A recovering patient is not told anything by their oncologist. They use standard phrases like exercise karo or achcha khao without going into the specifics,” Megha says. So if you wanted to know if garlic is good for recovering breast cancer patients or if they can have sex or if you are confused between lumpectomy and mastectomy, this book has all the answers in a very simple and lucid style. “The underlying message of the entire book is that human will is greater than any number of bad cells that attack your body,” Megha concludes. (Megha can be contact on megh83@hotmail.com) HEALING TOUCH: Megha Bajaj wrote the book after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer